Reservoir-lamp



(NoModel.)

` 0. SWEENBY.

Reservoir Lamp.

Pate'nted'Sept. 28,1880.

Nrrnn Srnns FFIQE@ n'rnwr RESERVOIR-LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,778, dated September 28, 1880,

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER SwnnNEY, a citizen ot' the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Reservoir-Lamps, ot' which the following1 is a specification.

My invention relates mainly to certain improvements in that class of lamps in which the oil iiows to the wick-tubes from a distributingohamber communicating with the main oilreservoir through a valved opening, the valve being carried or controlled by a ioat in the distributing-chamber, so that as the level of the oil in said chamber falls the valve will be opened and sufficient oil permitted to ent-er the chamber to restore the proper level of oil therein when the valve is again closed.

The objects of my invention are to prevent leakage of oil from the reservoir to the distributing-chamber 5 to render the valve sensitive in its action 5 to provide a simple means of introducing air to the distributing-chamber, and to prevent the ilaring of the light by the sudden rising and fallin g of the oil in the wicktubes when the lamp is tilted or swung about.

rllhese objects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of a lamp constructed according to my invention, Fig. 2, a portion of the same with some of the parts in a different position; and Figs. 3 and 4 views representing modications of one ofthe features of my invention.

A represents the main casing of the lamp, which incloses the loil-reservoir B and the distributing-chamber D, the two being separated by a partition, a, in which is an opening, b. The chamber D communicates, through a hollow block, d, and pipes e e, with two wicktubes, ff, although in carrying out my invention but one wick-tube, or more than two, may be used, as the character of thelamp may suggest.

E is a float, preferably in the form of a hollow sheet-metal box; and projecting upward from the center ot' this iioat is a tubular stem, g, which is adapted to an internal guide, 71 in the reservoir B, and to the central opening of a screw-cap, F, in the top of the casing A, the opening in the cap being somewhat larger than the stem g, for a purpose explained hereinafter.

The stem g carries two valves, m and u, the valve m being near the bottom, and the valve a near4 the top, of the stem. The latter is open at the top, and has between the valve m and the top of the iioat E a series of lateral openings, s.

When the chamber D contains the proper amount of oil the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, the valve m closing the opening b in the partition a, and the valve a closing the lower end of the opening in the cap F. A full supply of air enters the chamber D through the tubular stem g and openings s, so that the flow of oil from said chamber is not interfered with 5 but the entrance of air to the upper portion of the reservoir B through the opening in the cap F is prevented by the valve a, which closes the lower end ot' said opening. There is consequently no tendency ot' the oil to flow from the reservoir B into the chamber D while the parts are in this position, and oonsiderable weight is thus removed from the valve m, leakage oi' oil between said valve and its seat being prevented, and the upward pressure necessary to maintain the valve in contact with its seat reduced. e

The lowering of the level of the oil in the chamber D, and the consequent falling ot' the iioat E, effects the simultaneous opening of both valves m and a, thereby permitting air to enter the reservoir B, and insuring a free flow of oil from the same into the chamber D, as in Fig. 2, until the proper level of oil within said chamber is restored and the valves m and a again closed.

It will be observed, on reference to Fig. l, that the only communication between the hollow block d and the pipes e o, and between the latter and the wick-tubes f f, is through the contracted openings fw. By this means the rapid iiow of oil from the chamber D to the wick-tubes, or in the opposite direction, is prevented, and the objectionable iiaring of the light due to a sudden rise or fall of the oil in the wick-tubes is overcome.

In stead of adopting the plan shownin Fig. l, the rapid iiow of the oil through the pipeo may be prevented by placing an obstruction in said pipe. For instance, the pipe may have a section, x, with one or more perforated partitions, as shown in Fig. 3; or the sectionx may contain sponge, pieces of pulnice-stone, or like IOO material, coniined, it' desired, between perfo rated plates, as shown in Fig. 4. The contracted openings w, however, are the simplest, and are preferred; but this feature I do not desire to claim in the present application.

The Valves m and n may, if' desired, be 00mbined with a solid stem, in which ease an independent air-supply for the chamber D will be necessary.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, in a reservoir-lamp, of the reservoir B, the distributing-chamber D, and the oa-t E, having a stem, g, with two valves, m and n, the valve m eontrollin g the passage between the reservoir B and chamber D, and the valve n. controlling the opening OLIVER SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. TOBIN, HARRY SMITH. 

